Narcissism and Entrepreneurial Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Equity Ranking and Industry Attention

TL;DR

This study explores how narcissism affects entrepreneurs' well-being, especially when they have high equity rankings and receive industry attention.

Contribution

The study introduces narcissism as a novel factor influencing entrepreneurial well-being, moderated by equity ranking and industry attention.

Findings

Narcissistic entrepreneurs experience higher well-being when their equity ranking is high.

Industry attention amplifies the positive effect of narcissism on entrepreneurial well-being.

Abstract

Why do some entrepreneurs experience higher levels of well-being? While prior research has extensively investigated various determinants of entrepreneurial well-being, this study advances the literature by examining the unique role of narcissism in shaping entrepreneurs’ well-being. We propose that a narcissistic personality—characterized by heightened self-focus and need for recognition—interacts with contextual factors to enhance well-being. Specifically, narcissistic entrepreneurs’ well-being increases when equity ranking is high and industry attention is salient. Using a multi-method approach, combining survey data from 165 Chinese entrepreneurs with archival data, we demonstrate that narcissism positively predicts well-being, with effects amplified by both high equity ranking and industry attention. In doing so, this study contributes to research on well-being and narcissistic personality in entrepreneurial contexts.

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